March 11, 2016
Philadelphia's first "vertical neighborhood" inside the rising FMC Tower in West Philadelphia will open this summer earlier than anticipated, according to developer Brandywine Realty Trust, which had originally projected a completion date in 2017.
Designed by Pelli Clark Pelli, the 47-story Cira Centre tower will include a combination of office space, retail and residential units vertically stacked like a neighborhood, all in one building between Walnut and Chestnut streets, south of 30th St. Station.
The sleek new skyscraper, standing 730 feet tall, will serve as home to specialty chemical company FMC Corporation, which will be joined by the University of Pennsylvania as the building's first office tenants. On the top 19 floors, AKA will provide 268 luxury apartments and extended-stay suites, from 1- and 2-bedroom units to penthouses with panoramic views of the Philadelphia skyline, according to Curbed Philly.
Tenants at the FMC Tower will have shared access to 28th floor club with an gigantic swimming pool, a terrace with fire pits, a movie theater, an indoor-outdoor restaurant, and a 3D golf simulator, among other amenities.
Last November, Brandywine Realty Trust debuted Cira Green, Philadelphia's first elevated park situated 95 feet above street level in University City. The park relies on a sustainable rainwater drainage system that soaks up excess runoff over longer periods and reduces the amount of chemicals entering the city's watershed.
In the longer term, the FMC Tower figures into the massive, $3.5 billion Schuylkill Yards development planned in a partnership between Drexel University and Brandywine Realty Trust. The University City innovation district, expected to unfold in several phases over the next 20 years, will eventually include several new skyscrapers in the vicinity.
Check out a simulated virtual tour of the FMC Tower in the Brandywine Realty Trust video below.
